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Spirit of the Hills is a non-profit rescue and home for unwanted, orphaned,...

Spirit of the Hills is a non-profit rescue and home for unwanted, orphaned, or rescued animals.

Our Mission:

To provide a permanent home for unwanted, abused orphaned and neglected animals.

Located in the northern Black Hills of South Dakota, the Sanctuary sits on 200 acres of rocky, forested terrain. It is currently home to over 300 animals of 40 different species including tigers, leopards, bears, African lions, mountain lions, coyotes, lynx, emus and a myriad of domestic animals including goats, sheep, pigs, dogs, cats, llamas, donkeys and horses.

Tours are available at 10 a.m., 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. June 1st - Labor Day. Tours can still be given outside of touring season (weather permitting) by appointment. When the temperature gets higher it's advisable to call ahead to be sure the afternoon tours are still scheduled.

It was great to see all the animals. It is really a place where unwanted animals go. people who have gotten exotic/wild animals as pets then realized hum they are too big or to unpredictable. The people here took them in and take care of them. a lot of the volunteers are really knowledgeable about the animals and their back...
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Had an amazing tour through acres in the heart of the Black Hills where we met Lions, Tigers, Bears, Wolves and other animals who needed to be placed in a sanctuary. They were beautiful and the travel guide taught us so much. I beyond highly recommend this to people of all ages.

What a fabulous find in Spearfish! The tour guide was knowledgable and passionate about the mission of the sanctuary. She had first-hand knowledge about all the animals, sharing many anecdotes. It was very much worth the price and time ! Keep up the great work !

In truth, we have only taken a tour of the sanctuary once since we've lived in Spearfish. That's really all it takes to learn about what they do. The property is much larger than you would imagine and they have so many animals, many of them rescued from circuses, zoos, etc. The tour is a walking tour and is in...
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jangerkay has 1 more review of Spirit of the Hills Wildlife Sanctuary - TEMPORARILY CLOSED

I have been here several times with my family ages ranging from 3 to 50 years old. My 8 year old nephew can be a bit of a "know it all" and yet the staff never let this distract them from the facts or the rest of the tour group and they remained courteous even when I was becoming annoyed....
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Each of the animals has it's own story. The volunteers do a terrific job of caring for these rescue animals and explaining how they came to be at the Sanctuary. This facility is respected nationwide and gives anyone, young or old, an opportunity to learn and experience wild and domestic animals being given the care they deserve.

This was the only must-see on my itinerary that I could not confirm in advance. Generally, based on normal weather, the sanctuary stops giving tours in early to mid-Sep, and you must be on a staff-led tour. This year, the abnormally warm early fall kept the tours going. We found out they were open only as we arrived in Spearfish...
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They rescue exotic animals and the not so exotic. The staff is very informative. The Animals are well cared for. They do special events, which are fun for all. Great place to visit. It's gravel roads to get there, but worth it.

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